Scaffold.



No. 653,768. Patented luly I7, |900. J.` c. FUREAKEH. SCAFFOLD.

(Application led Mar. 29, 1900.)

M .M ,Si

i rvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. FOREAKER, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

sCAFFoLD'.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,768, dated .my 17, 19de'.

Application filed March 29, 1900. Serial No. 10,671. (No model.)

use in painting the exterior of buildings and is provided with means for adjusting the height of the platform and also for moving the latter transversely across the adjacent wall of the building. It lis furthermore designed to arrange the operating devices for adjusting the scaffold within convenient reach of the operator, so that he may readily adjust the device without descending to the ground and also without requiring the assistance of other persons.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combinationv and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being un derstood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva-` tion of the present scaffold in position for use and resting against the eaves of a building. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device.

'I Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates an upright standard, whichis preferably of a length to reach to the eaves of a building, as plainly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Mounted to slide vertically upon-this standard is a platform 2, which comprises opposite sills 3, that project transversely in front and rear of the standard, and the opposite front and rear uprights 4 and 5, that are secured to the inner sides of the opposite sills, so that the platform embraces the standard and projects at all sides thereof; but the greater part of the platform is upon the front side of the standard, or toward the building, so as to afford plenty of room for the free -movement of the operator who stands upon the platform. At one inner corner of the plat# form there is a suitable post 6, which is pro'- Vided with a hook 7 for supporting a paintpot or other device.` Y

The means for raising and lowering the platform upon the standard comprises an endless rope or cable 8, which runs over the opposite upper and lower pulleys or rollers 9 and 10, and the fioor of the plat-form is provided with the opposite openings or perforations 11 and 12 for the loose reception of the rope or cable, which longitudinally embraces the front and rear sides ofthe standard. As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the upright 5 of the platform-frame projects a suitable distance above' the floor, so'as to'have a long bearing against the standard to prevent of an oscillating movement of the platform, and the upper end of this upright isbifurcated to form opposite arms 13, between which extends a transverse rod or pin 14, to which an intermediate portion of the elevating or lifting rope is iixedly connected, so that by pulling in either direction upon the rope the platform may be moved lupon the standard. As illustrated in Fig. 2,'the pulleys or rollers 9 and 10 are mounted within the slots or openings 15 and 16, respectively, so that the elevating-rope may be centrally located and close to the standard.

To hold the platform at any vertical adjustment, there is provided a hook or pawl 17, which has an angular free extremity to engage with the inclined notches 18, formed in the front face of the standard. This hook is pivotally mounted within the bifurcated upper end Yofthe inner upright l'of the platform, as best shown in Figxf, so as to lie close to the standard, and thereby be out of the way of the operator. To operate this hook or ratchet, there is provided a trip-lever 19, which is mounted intermediate vof its ends upon one outer side of the 'upright 4, the rear end being connected toa spring 20 and its forward end located adjacent to the floor of the platform, so as to be conveniently opera- IOO ted by the foot of the operator. It will be understood that this lever is fixed to one end of the pivotal support of the hook 17, so that the latter may be conveniently disengaged from the notches in the standard. Instead of forming notches in the standard the front face of the latter may be provided with an ordinary rack, with which the hook or ratchet is designed to engage, so as to form the sole support for the platform.

The lower end of the standard is provided with a base in the form of a transverse beam 2l, that projects at opposite sides of the standard and at substantially'right angles to the plane of the endless elevating-cable and upon which the standard is mounted to travel. EX- tending longitudinally of the beam is a slot 22, andthe lower end of the standard is provided with a longitudinal bifurcation 23 to slidably receive the beam. Near the outer end of the bifurcation is a pin or roller 24 to be slidably received within the slot of the beam, and above this pin or roller is another roller or Wheel 25 to travel upon the upper edge of the beam. In the upper end of the standard there is provided a slot or opening 26, which is disposed at substantially right angles to the adjacent slot l5, and mounted in the former slot is a Wheel or roller 27, over which passes the intermediate portion of an adjusting rope or cable 28, which extends longitudinally at opposite sides of the standard and loosely through suitable openings or perforations in the fioor'of the platform. The opposite end portions of the cable pass-between a pair of rollers or pulleys 29, which are mounted within the bifurcation at the lower end of the standard, and said rollers are located above the wheel 25. From these pulleys the ends of the cable extend outwardly in opposite directionsand are ixedly connected to the respective outer ends of the transverse beam, as indicated at 30. By pulling upon the rope or cable 28 at either side and in either direction the standard may be moved longitudinally upon the base-beam.

In the operation of the device, as illustrated in Fig. l, the base-beam is placed upon the ground at a suitable distance from the building and the upper end of the standard rested against the eaves of the building or, if the standard is not long enough, against the wall, so that the standard may assume an inwardlyinclined position to accommodate the platform between the standard and the building. It will now be observed that the floor of the platform does not extend at right anglesto the standard, but is inclined upwardly across the same, so as to assume a horizontal position when the scaffold is in use. The platform is normally at its lower limit, so as to receive the tools or implements of the workman, who also stands upon the platform and by means of the elevating-cable 8 hoists the platform to the desired height,when the hook or ratchet is engaged with the rack upon the standard to hold the platform in its adjusted position. Should it be desired to move the platform to either side of its original position, the cable 28 is operated to move the standard longitudinally upon the base-beam 21,as hereinbefore described, whereby access may be conveniently had to the entire wall of the building without requiring the workman to site directions, as at 3l, so as to prevent chafing or wearing of the rope.

What is claimed isl. A scaffold, comprising'a standard, having upper and lower slots, pulleys mounted therein, a platform formed by opposite sills embracing the standard, a floor supported upon the sills, front and rear uprights secured between the sills, the upper end of one of the uprights being bifurcated, and provided with a transverse bar, and an endless cable passing through the slots and over the pulleys and through openings in the floor of the platform, an intermediate portion of the cable being secured to the transverse bar.

2. In a scaold, a standard, having upper and lower slots, pulleys mounted therein, 'a rack upon one side of the standard, a platform slidable upon the standard, and havingl opposite uprights embracing the standard and bifurcated in their upper ends, a transverse bar extending across the bifurcation of one of the uprights, an endless cable passing through the slots and over the pulleys, and also connected to the bar, a hook mounted within the bifurcation of the other upright, and a trip-lever mounted upon said other upright and operatively connected to the hook.

3. In a scaold, a base, having a longitudinal slot, a standard, having a bifurcation to slidably receive the base, a guide slidable within the slot, a wheel to travel upon the base, and means for moving the standard lon-V gitudinally in opposite directions across the base.

4. In a scaifold, a base, a standard movable longitudinally in opposite directions across the base, a platform carried by the standard, and opposite operating devices carried by the standard, and connected to the respective opposite ends of the base. A

5. In ascaifold, a base, a standard mounte to slide thereon, a platform carried by the standard,pulleys mounted upon the standard, and a cable passing over the pulleys, and having its opposite ends connected to the respective ends of the base.

6. In a scaffold, a base-beam, a standard, having a bifurcation in its lower end to slidably receive the beam ,a wheel mounted within the bifurcation and to travel upon the beam, opposite pulleys mounted within the bifurca= IIG tion, a pulley mounted near the upper end of the standard, a cable passing over the upper pulley, between the lower opposite pulleys, and having its opposite ends connected to the respective opposite ends of the beam, and a platform carried by the standard.

7. In a scaffold, a base-beam, a standard, having a lower bifurcation to slidably receive the beam, a wheel mounted Within the bifurcation and to travel upon the beam, opposite pulleys mounted within the bifurcation, a slot at the upper end of the standard, a pulley mounted therein, a cable, having its opposite ends connected to the respective ends of the beam, and its intermediate portion passed over the respective pulleys, a vertically-mov able platform, having a supporting device for adjustable engagement with the standard, a trip-lever connected to the supporting device, upper and lower pulleys mounted within slots in the standard, and an endless cable passing over said pulleys and also connected to the platform for raising and lowering the latter.

8. In a scaffold, a base, a standard slidable longitudinally thereof, pulleys mounted upon the standard, a cable passing over the pulleys, and having its opposite ends connected to the respective opposite ends of the base, a platform slidable vertically upon the standard, upper and lower pulleys mounted upon the standard, an endless cable passing over said upper and lower pulleys, and also connected to the platform, and a supporting device for adjustable engagement with the standard. Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. FOREAKER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. CRELLER, R. L. ZIRE. 

